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North Carolina's elections results are available for the following elections in the specified years. You may request additional election results information not available on this site by submitting a request form to the State Board. If you have problems accessing this data please contact the Helpdesk at 888-450-7263 or email HelpRequest.SBOE@ncsbe.gov.

Before you begin distributing a petition, you need to be aware of the laws governing your particular petition, as well as general provisions pertaining to petitions in North Carolina. This page reviews the petition process and provides the applicable laws, due dates, forms, and petition sheets. The petition sheets located here, which contain the required information for the different types of petitions, must be used. Blanks at the top of the petition sheet must be completed before collecting any signatures. Additional information on petitions in North Carolina can be found here.

VOTER ID

The requirement to show a photo ID for voting and other associated laws has been struck down by a Federal court. Unless there is a different outcome on appeal, PHOTO ID will not be required in the upcoming general election.

First-time voters, who at the time of their initial voter registration did not provide their North Carolina driver license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number, or who provided a number that could not be validated, are required to show identification when they vote.

This identification does not have to be a photo ID. The requirement for first-time voters to show identification is a requirement of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, a federal law not unique to North Carolina. Acceptable forms of HAVA ID include:

A current and valid photo identification; or

A copy of one of the following documents that show the name and address of the voter: a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document.

First-time voters who are required to show HAVA ID will have been notified of this requirement by their county board of elections.

To vote in the 2016 statewide general election, a person must be registered and meet the following qualifications:

be a U.S. citizen

be at least 18 years of age, or be 17 years of age and will turn 18 no later than November 8, 2016 (the date of the general election)

reside in the county and election district in which he or she presents to vote

not be serving an active sentence for a felony conviction

To register to vote, a person may complete and download a printable voter registration form on the State Board of Election’s website: www.ncsbe.gov. Voter registration applications are also available at county boards of elections offices, public libraries, high schools and college admissions offices. Persons may also register to vote at any DMV office and at certain agencies.The deadline to register to vote is 25 days before the election. Voter registration forms that are received by the county board of elections offices or postmarked by the deadline are accepted as valid applications for the upcoming election.

North Carolina law permits citizens who are at least 17 years of age to register to vote and vote as long as the person will be 18 years of age on the date of the general election. If you are 17 and will be 18 on or before November 8, 2016, you may register to vote for the upcoming election. You may vote in person on election day or during early voting or you may request to vote a by-mail absentee ballot.

Persons who are not registered in a county may register to vote during the one-stop early voting period. This process is called “Same-Day Registration.”

Same-day registrants must attest to their eligibility and provide proof of residence. A voter attests to her eligibility by completing a Voter Registration Application and affixing her signature under penalty of a Class I felony, after which she must prove her residence by presenting any of the following showing the voter’s current name and current address:

North Carolina driver’s license;

Other photo identification issued by a government agency;

A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document showing the voter’s name and address; OR

A current college/university photo identification card paired with a current roster prepaired by the college/university and transmitted to the county board of elections office, which lists all students residing in campus housing facilities.

Any government-issued photo identification card is acceptable, so long as the card bears the registrant’s current name and current address. Such cards may be expired, but the name and address must be current.

A student residing in a campus housing facility may prove his residency by presenting, in either hardcopy or electronic format, any document originating with the educational institution and containing the student’s name and on-campus housing address or facility name (e.g., “Jones Hall”). Acceptable documents may be issued by either public or private educational institutions and include correspondence, invoice, transcript, or a print-out or screen shot from any official registration or housing portal displaying the student’s name and on-campus housing address. Alternatively, the educational institution may voluntarily provide elections officials with a list of all students residing in a particular campus housing facility, which may be referenced in conjunction with a valid student photo identification card presented by the registrant. Any such list must be current at the time of use and must display individual facility information for each on-campus resident to ensure the student is properly registered at the appropriate address. Lists may not be used if they do not differentiate between residents at different campus housing facilities. Educational institutions may omit the names of individuals known to be ineligible based on citizenship status (e.g., exchange students holding student visas). The roster may be used as proof of a student’s on-campus residency only if the registrant presents a valid student photo identification card showing the student’s current name as it appears on the registration roster

Within two business days of the person’s registration, the county board of elections will verify the registrant’s driver license or social security number, update the voter registration database, search for possible duplicate registrations, and proceed to verify the registrant’s address by mail. The registrant’s vote will be counted unless the county board of elections determines that he or she is not qualified to vote.

ABSENTEE VOTING BY MAIL - Request Deadline - 11/1/2016 (5:00 pm)

ABSENTEE VOTING BY MAIL

REQUESTING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT

RETURNING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT

WITNESSING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATION

POSTAGE AND POSTMARK ON ABSENTEE ENVELOPE

Any registered North Carolina voter may request an absentee ballot by mail. No excuse is needed to vote by absentee. To request an absentee ballot, complete the State Absentee Ballot Request Form. The form is available on the State Board of Elections website at www.ncsbe.gov.

Click on the image below to enlarge.

A completed State Absentee Ballot Request Form may be mailed, faxed or scanned and then emailed to the county board of elections. The contact information for the county boards of elections may be found here: http://enr.ncsbe.gov/cbesearch/

The State Absentee Ballot Request Form may only be signed by the voter or a voter’s near relative or legal guardian. A near relative is considered to be a spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent, or stepchild of the voter.

Once ballots become available, the county will mail the absentee balloting materials to persons who submit valid requests. The balloting materials must be mailed. The balloting materials may not be faxed, emailed or hand-delivered to the voter. Absentee ballots will be available according to the following schedule:

November 8, 2016 General Election

Absentee voting begins

09/09/2016

Civilian Absentee Voters

The name, address and date of birth of the requesting voter must be provided on the State Absentee Ballot Request Form. One of the following types of information to identify the voter must also be provided:

NC driver license or non-operator’s ID card number;

the last four digits of voter’s social security number; or

a copy of one of the following documents that shows name and address: a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document.

Check the schedule for the absentee ballot request deadline.

Military and Overseas Citizens

Members of the military (or their spouses or dependents) who are absent from their counties of residence and United States citizens who are outside of the United States during the election may use the following to request an absentee ballot.

State Absentee Ballot Request Form to request an absentee ballot. There is a section on the form that permits a military or overseas citizen to qualify for special voting rights under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act(UOCAVA).

Federal Postcard Application (FPCA), available at www.FVAP.gov. The FPCA is also a voter registration application.

Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB), available at www.FVAP.gov. The FWAB is also a voter registration application and the voter’s official ballot. It permits the voter to “write-in” their ballot choices.

Civilian Absentee Voters

A civilian absentee voter must return his or her voted ballot in the container-return envelope provided to the board of elections in enough time for the ballot to be received by 5:00 p.m. on Election Day (11/8/2016). If mailed, the ballot is timely as long as the container-return envelope is postmarked by Election Day (11/8/2016) and received no later than 5:00 p.m. on the third day following the election (Monday, 11/14/2016 – because 11/11/2016 is Veterans Day). If balloting materials are returned in person, only the voter or a near relative may deliver the ballot. Civilian absentee ballots may not be returned by fax or email.

Military and Overseas Citizens

Military and overseas citizens have until 7:30 p.m. EST on Election Day (11/8/2016) to return their voted ballots. These voted ballots may be faxed, emailed or mailed. Additional time is granted for military and overseas citizens' absentee ballots to be received, as long as the voter mailed the ballot by Election Day or started the electronic ballot transmission by 12:01 a.m. on Election Day and the county board receives the ballot by the last business day before the county canvass (11/17/2016).

A completed State Absentee Ballot Request Form may be mailed, faxed or scanned and then emailed to the county board of elections. The contact information for the county boards of elections may be found here: http://enr.ncsbe.gov/cbesearch/

The State Absentee Ballot Request Form may only be signed by the voter or a voter’s near relative or legal guardian. A near relative is considered to be a spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent, or stepchild of the voter.

Once ballots become available, the county will mail the absentee balloting materials to persons who submit valid requests. The balloting materials must be mailed. The balloting materials may not be faxed, emailed or hand-delivered to the voter. Absentee ballots will be available according to the following schedule:

November 8, 2016 General Election

Absentee voting begins

09/09/2016

Civilian Absentee Voters

The name, address and date of birth of the requesting voter must be provided on the State Absentee Ballot Request Form. One of the following types of information to identify the voter must also be provided:

NC driver license or non-operator’s ID card number;

the last four digits of voter’s social security number; or

a copy of one of the following documents that shows name and address: a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document.

Check the schedule for the absentee ballot request deadline.

Military and Overseas Citizens

Members of the military (or their spouses or dependents) who are absent from their counties of residence and United States citizens who are outside of the United States during the election may use the following to request an absentee ballot.

State Absentee Ballot Request Form to request an absentee ballot. There is a section on the form that permits a military or overseas citizen to qualify for special voting rights under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act(UOCAVA).

Federal Postcard Application (FPCA), available at www.FVAP.gov. The FPCA is also a voter registration application.

Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB), available at www.FVAP.gov. The FWAB is also a voter registration application and the voter’s official ballot. It permits the voter to “write-in” their ballot choices.

Civilian Absentee Voters A civilian absentee voter must have his or her absentee application witnessed by two persons (or one witness if that witness is a notary-public) who are at least 18 years of age. The absentee application is the form on the back of the ballot’s container-return envelope. The witnesses are required to provide their complete addresses. The witnesses may be anyone except the following: an owner, manager, director, employee, or other person affiliated with a hospital, clinic, nursing home or rest home, where the voter is a patient. a person who is a candidate for nomination or election in the primary or election in which the voter is voting absentee, unless the voter is the candidate’s near relative. A near relative is considered to be a spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent, or stepchild of the voter. Military and Overseas Citizens There is no witness requirement for military and overseas citizens who vote absentee by mail under UOCAVA.

ONE-STOP VOTING (EARLY VOTING) - 10/20/2016 - 11/5/2016

One-stop voting or “early voting” is actually in-person absentee voting. The reason it is called one-stop absentee voting is that the voter has an opportunity to request, receive and vote the absentee ballot all at one time. One-stop voting provides an all-purpose solution for those seeking to:

avoid potential voting delays on election day;

vote on convenient days and during non-working hours;

avoid any registration conflict that could trigger the necessity of a provisional ballot on election day; or

update their voter records in their counties of registration if they have moved since last voting.

One-stop Voting begins on the third Thursday prior to the date of an election and ends on the last Saturday before Election Day. During the one-stop absentee voting period, registered voters may vote at any one-stop early voting site in their county of residence. Early voting hours vary by county and location. Voters should check the one-stop absentee schedule in their county to determine specific hours for each early voting site. The schedule for early voting will be posted by the start of the absentee voting by mail period.

These are the dates for the 2016 One-stop voting periods:

November 8, 2016 General Election

One-stop Voting Period

10/20/2016 – 11/5/2016

GENERAL ELECTION VOTING RESIDENCE GUIDELINES

Moved within the county on or before 10/9/2016?

Moved within the county after 10/9/2016?

Moved to a new North Carolina county on or before 10/9/2016?

Moved to a new North Carolina county after 10/9/2016?

Moved to North Carolina on or before 10/9/2016?

Moved to North Carolina after 10/9/2016?

Moved out of North Carolina on or before 10/9/2016?

Moved out of North Carolina after 10/9/2016?

If you moved within the county on or before October 9, 2016, you have lost voting eligibility for your old address. You should go to the voting site for your new precinct on Election Day to receive your proper ballot.

If you moved with the county after October 9, 2016, your legal voting residence for the election is your old address. You should go to the voting site for your old precinct on Election Day to receive your proper ballot.

If you moved to a new North Carolina county on or before October 9, 2016, you have lost voting eligibility in your previous county. You must be registered to vote in your new county of residence 25 days before the election in which you desire to vote. If you did not register to vote by the voter registration deadline, you should register to vote and vote during the one-stop absentee voting period ("early voting") in your new county. If you do not register to vote and vote during the one-stop absentee voting period, you will not be eligible to vote on Election Day.

If you moved to a new North Carolina county after October 9, 2016, your legal voting residence for this election is your old address in your previous county. You should go to your old polling place on Election Day.

If you moved to North Carolina on or before October 9, 2016, your legal voting residence is now in this state. You must have registered to vote before the voter registration deadline. If you did not register to vote by the voter registration deadline, you should register and vote during the one-stop absentee voting period ("early voting") in your county. If you do not register to vote and vote during the one-stop absentee voting period, you will not be eligible to vote on Election Day.

If you moved to North Carolina after October 9, 2016, you are not qualified to vote in North Carolina for the 2016 general election. You must have resided at your address in North Carolina for at least 30 days before the date of this election before you are eligible to vote in an election.

If you moved out of North Carolina on or before October 9, 2016, you have lost voting eligibility in North Carolina. You must register to vote in your new state of residence. Please check with your new state regarding voter registration requirements.

If you moved out of North Carolina after October 9, 2016, you may still vote in your previous North Carolina county. You may do so by absentee ballot or return to North Carolina and vote in person.

GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT INFORMATION

No Straight-Party Voting in General Election

Partisan General Election Contests

Judicial Contests (Non-Court of Appeals)

Court of Appeals Contests

Non-partisan Local Contests

Write-in Contests

Since straight-party voting was eliminated in North Carolina, there will not be an option that allows a voter to use one mark to vote for the candidates of a given party for more than one office. Voters must vote for each partisan contest item separately on the general election ballot.

The list of candidates’ names for general election contests will be in order of the nominee for:

the Republican Party

the Democratic Party

the Libertarian Party

any candidates that qualified to run as unaffiliated candidates

According to state law, candidate names for judicial contests (except Court of Appeals contests) will appear on the ballot based on a random order selection established by the State Board of Elections. The random order selection for the 2016 General Primary and General Election occurred in December of 2015 after the end of candidate filing. Based on the random order selection criteria, the order of candidate names in judicial contests will start with the letter “H” (by last name) and then proceed in regular alphabetical order by candidates’ last name.

According to state law, candidate names for Court of Appeals contests will appear in the following order:

Candidates affiliated with the Republican party

Candidates affiliated with the Democratic party

Candidates affiliated with the Libertarian party

Unaffiliated candidates (candidates who are not affiliated with a political party)

The order of candidate names for non-partisan local contests will be in alphabetical order by candidates’ last name.

Write-in lines may appear in partisan or nonpartisan contests on a ballot.

For PARTISAN contests, a person must qualify via a petition in order for a line to appear on the ballot in the contest. In the upcoming General Election, there will be a write-in line for the statewide contests of U.S. President and N.C. Commissioner of Labor. There may be other local partisan contests that have a qualified write-in candidate too. If so, those contests will have a write-in line on the ballot. Only a certified (qualified) write-in candidate’s votes will be counted in these contests. Certainly, it is likely that some voters will write-in other names, but votes for these individuals (real or fictional) will not be counted. Qualifying as a write-in candidate also means that the candidate’s name and votes attributed to that name will be listed in the official, final abstract of the election results that is kept by the state for official and historical purposes.

For most NONPARTISAN contests, a write-in line will be included for the contest on the ballot. A person is not required to qualify as a write-in candidate by petition in these contests. Votes cast for persons eligible to hold the office (based on age, residency, status of voter registration) will be counted. The types of nonpartisan contests that will have write-in lines include non-partisan board of education contests, Soil and Water Municipal District Supervisor, municipal contests, and special sanitary or water district contests.

WHEN BALLOTS ARE COUNTED

All election results on election night are unofficial. A county election is not complete until the county canvass; state-wide contests are not complete until the state canvass.

ABSENTEE BALLOTS

Absentee ballots (including one-stop absentee ballots) are counted at 5:00 p.m. on Election Day, or in some cases, may be counted as early as 2:00 p.m.

ABSENTEE BALLOTS

County Boards of Elections may not release absentee results until after the close of the polls. Absentee ballots that are timely received after Election Day will be counted as part of the final canvass.

PROVISIONAL BALLOTS

The county canvass is the mechanism by which election results in a county become official. The county canvass meeting is conducted 10 days after Election Day. During the canvassing period, county boards of elections will also count eligible civilian, military or overseas absentee ballots that are received after Election Day. Until the relevant canvass, all election results posted by the county or the State Board of Elections are unofficial. These are the specific dates for the 2016 county canvass meetings:

National offices, state offices, multi-county legislative offices, superior court judge, district court judge, district attorney, and statewide and multi-county referenda contests must be canvassed by the State Board of Elections. The State Board of Elections will set the date for the state canvass for primary elections. The date of the state canvass for the 2016 general election is Tuesday, November 29, 2016